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Manchester United’s teenage forward Marcus Rashford was the one surprise in England manager Roy Hodgson’s provisional 26-man squad for the European Championship named on Monday.

Rashford, 18, made his United debut in February and ended the season with seven goals from 16 appearances, including two on his Premier League debut.

Hodgson selected five strikers in his provisional list which will be reduced to 23 before the tournament in France, with Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge the others.

“Marcus Rashford is one of the contenders,” Hodgson told a news conference.

“Competition is strong and he deserves to be selected for the main squad but I am pleased someone who has had an outstanding end to the season has a great future. He will have the chance to knock someone off their perch.” Naija and Bet

Jurgen Klopp is ready to turn his full attention to Liverpool’s first European final for nine years after the Reds finished their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion.

Liverpool boss Klopp admitted his senior players were already thinking ahead to Wednesday’s Europa League final against holders Sevilla in Basel before Sunday’s domestic finale.

So Klopp made 11 changes at the Hawthorns, with most of the men likely to start the final left on Merseyside to rest while Liverpool’s understudies collected a point thanks to Jordon Ibe’s fine equaliser after Salomon Rondon’s opener.

“We made a few changes – 11,” smiled Klopp. “It absolutely made sense because it’s perfectly clear you cannot play here with 50 per cent concentration.

“I know about playing finals and it would have been quite difficult for the players. It was clear it was going to be quite intense.

“The young boys did really well and we played football.

“The problem would be if we came with other players and they were already with their mind on the next game. That would be absolutely normal, we cannot change this.” Naijabet.com

Arsene Wenger admitted Arsenal endured a disappointing campaign despite securing the runners-up spot, behind champions Leicester, for the first time since 2005.

Arsenal’s 4-0 victory over Aston Villa combined with Tottenham’s disastrous 5-1 defeat at Newcastle on Sunday ensured Wenger’s side finished above their local rivals, who had seemed certain to take second place for several weeks.

The Gunners have now finished above Tottenham every year since 1995 and the significance of unexpectedly maintaining bragging rights over their hated neighbours was evident from the gleeful reaction of the home supporters.

But while Arsenal’s season ended on a high, Wenger admitted it was impossible to disguise the disappointment at not challenging Leicester more closely.

“We are not happy by being second but 18 other teams behind us would be happy to be in our position,” Wenger said. “But of course our target was to be first and for a while we believed we could do it.

“I knew our position at the end would depend on us getting through some difficult away games without damage, and on Leicester as well dropping some points. Naija and Bet“That was not only us, it was Tottenham as well who were in a better position than us for a long, long period, and Manchester City as well.

“I think we kept going when we had a period that was very difficult for us, we kept togetherness and we have now not lost for nine games and that mental strength in the dressing room got us through that period.”

Manuel Pellegrini might be unsure about his own future but he is certain Pep Guardiola will be successful when he takes over as Manchester City manager.

Pellegrini’s side ground out a 1-1 draw at Swansea City on Sunday to ensure they pipped neighbours Manchester United to the Premier League’s fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth.

Pellegrini’s parting gift means his successor will be able to look forward to competing in Europe’s elite club competition when Guardiola arrives at Eastlands during the close-season following his departure from Bayern Munich.

“I don’t like to talk about what will happen in the future but I am sure that Guardiola will be a very successful manager,” Pellegrini said.

“I have not spoken to Guardiola and I don’t think I have any need to do that. He knows perfectly well what is happening at this club because he has friends here.

“Guardiola will receive a club that deserves to be in the Champions League and I am sure it will continue to improve in the future.

“I don’t think he is especially lucky because in the last five seasons this team has always been in the Champions League and it was important this continued next season.” Naijabet

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has not yet decided on his future, with his contract due to expire at the end of next season, the Frenchman said on Friday.

He denied any knowledge of British media reports that he would be offered a new deal.

The Times said on Friday that the club’s American majority shareholder Stan Kroenke had prepared a new two-year deal.

“I don’t know where the information has come from, you can treat that as an invention,” Wenger told a news conference ahead of Sunday’s final Premier League game at home to relegated Aston Villa.

The experienced Wenger, 66, who joined the north London club in 1996 and has led them to a top-four finish in every full season, indicated he would at least see out the remaining year of his contract. Naijabet.com

“I am committed with integrity for as long as I am under contract,” he said. “I will see where I am personally and where the club stands.”

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane believes his side can dream of pulling off an incredible comeback to usurp Barcelona and win La Liga on Saturday.

Madrid need to win a 12th consecutive La Liga game at Deportivo la Coruna and hope that Barca slip up away at Granada to deny their eternal rivals the title.

Zidane has fared remarkably well in his first senior managerial role after being promoted from coaching the club’s youth team in the third tier of Spanish football to replace the sacked Rafael Benitez in January.

Under the Frenchman’s tutelage, Madrid have fought back from a 12-point deficit in March to close to within a point of Barca heading into the final game, while also reaching the Champions League final, where they face Atletico Madrid later this month.

“That is the dream. I have been at this club for a long time as a player, then in many different roles and now finally as coach,” Zidane said on Friday. Naijabet.com

“The president has given me this opportunity to coach at this club and I want to do my upmost to ensure we win matches.

Manchester City forward, Kelechi Iheanacho, wants reward for a stunning 2015/16 season in the shape of a new deal worth £150,000-a-week.

The striker’s advisers believe he has earned parity – at least – with teammate Raheem Sterling, on the basis that Iheanacho’s emergence has saved the Blues from having to spend big on a new young frontman this summer.

They also feel rising-star Iheanacho has proven himself superior to Wilfried Bony, who has flopped since his £28 million move to the Etihad from Swansea 17 months ago.

Sterling, who signed from Liverpool for a package totalling £49 million last summer, has netted 11 times in his first season with the Mancunian Blues while Bony, who earns £100,000-a-week plus a £20,000-per-game bonus, has managed only eight goals this season and a total of ten in all competitions since being signed in January last year. Naijabet

Iheanacho currently earns £15,000-a-week but the www.mirror.co.uk reports that City will offer him an improved contract but want a wrangle over his representation resolved.

Leicester City’s England striker Jamie Vardy has been named Premier League Player of the Season after his pivotal role in the club’s remarkable title-winning campaign.

The East Midlands club, which announced the award in a tweet on Friday, defied the odds to lift their first top-flight crown having begun the season as 5 000-1 outsiders.

The prolific Vardy is also in the race for the golden boot awarded to the league’s top scorer, having netted 24 goals so far, one behind his international teammate Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur with one round of matches remaining on Sunday.

The 29-year-old’s Vardy’s phenomenal form this season led to him winning his first England cap and he is certain to be included on Monday in Roy Hodgson’s squad for next month’s European Championship in France.

Barcelona have the upper hand in a final day showdown with Real Madrid for the Spanish title on Saturday as they know a victory at Granada will ensure them a 24th La Liga crown.

Madrid are a point behind and have to stretch their winning La Liga run to 12 games at Deportivo la Coruna and hope for a Barca slip up to land the title.

The battle between the two richest clubs in the world has come down to the final day thanks to Barca’s incredible slump of three consecutive league defeats in April, the first time in 13 years they had gone on such a run.

However, the world champions have bounced back in style with four straight victories by a combined 21-0 scoreline to take them to the brink of a sixth Spanish title in eight seasons.

“It is essential for us to keep a clean sheet because we know from middle to front we can make the difference,” Barca striker Luis Suarez said on Thursday.

“Mentally we have to be very strong and be aware of the fact that it is in our own hands.

“We have 93 or 94 minutes to win one match and we have already won a lot this season.”

Suarez has come up big when Barca most needed him with 11 goals in his last four games to get the Catalan giants back on track. Naijabet

Puma revealed the new Borussia Dortmund home kit for the 2016/17 season, inspired by the motto “Pure Emotion”. The passion shared by the players and fans is a feature of BVB that sets them apart from many in football, with every season kicking off a new emotional adventure.

The new home shirt aims to inspire courage and confidence on the pitch and terraces, to draw on the successes of the past and to look to the future.

In traditional yellow, the shirt has a fashionable eye-catching look through its dynamic black block stripe design. The contemporary feel is complemented by additional stripes in a dot pattern and a black, offset Puma formstrip on the shoulder. The modern round neck collar completes the look and the extended back ensures a better fit.

Additional details include the embroidered club emblem, the Puma Cat logo as well as the jersey sponsor displayed on the front. The traditional “Dortmund” lettering is emblazoned on the rear.

The BVB players will be well-equipped on the field a functional level – high-quality polyester material ensures exceptional comfort. Mesh inserts integrated on the sides, and the drycell technology developed by Puma reliably transport moisture outwards and guarantee optimum breathability.

BVB’s exciting winger Marco Reus said: “I think what Puma has developed is absolutely fantastic. I am a big fan of the design with the stripes. I have also talked to some of the boys from the team and they are all very happy with the jersey. We are looking forward to the new season and we will give everything we can.”

Overall fatigue and long-term injuries to key players combined to end Arsenal’s pursuit for the Premier League title this season, goalkeeper Petr Cech has said.

Arsenal, who won their last league title in 2004, made a strong start to the season and were top of the division at the end of December, but lost out to champions Leicester City and are currently third in the table behind Tottenham Hotspur going into the last match of the campaign.

“It was a very strange season in a way,” Cech, who signed from Chelsea in the close season, told the club website (www.arsenal.com).

“If you look at the number of injuries we had, it is not a big number compared to previous years or compared to other clubs. It’s not a big difference but unfortunately for us, every time we’ve had an injury, it’s been long-term.” Naijabet.com

Midfielders Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all had long spells on the sidelines, while striker Danny Welbeck, who made his first appearance of the season in February, faces nine months out after suffering a second serious knee injury against Manchester City on Sunday.Continue reading “Lack of energy and injuries cost Arsenal title – Cech”

Manuel Pellegrini has urged caution ahead of Manchester City’s final match of the season at Swansea City on Sunday after his team were handed a reprieve in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

Fourth-placed Manchester City need one more point, thanks to a vastly superior goal difference, after rivals Manchester United failed to capitalise on their game in hand when they lost 3-2 at West Ham United on Tuesday. Naijabet

“Maybe after the Arsenal game everyone thought we were eliminated,” said Pellegrini on Thursday in reference to last weekend’s 2-2 home draw.

“But now it has flipped around the other way so we must be very careful,” he told his last news conference as City manager before Pep Guardiola takes over the City hot seat.

Since joining in 2013 the Chilean has won the Premier League, two League Cups and guided the club to their first Champions League semi-final, but they have disappointed in the league this season.

Captain Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva will miss the trip to the Liberty Stadium while left back Aleksandar Kolarov is a fitness doubt.

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich will lift the Bundesliga trophy for an historic fourth consecutive time on Saturday – with their rivals predicting they will get even stronger next season under Carlo Ancelotti.

Bayern’s home match against Hanover 96, who are already relegated, will be Guardiola’s last at the Allianz Arena before he takes over at Manchester City next season.

It promises to be a festive occasion in Munich and Guardiola will be a prime candidate for the traditional ‘beer shower’ when the Bayern squad are presented with over-sized glasses of beer to start the party after the final whistle.

Under Guardiola, Bayern have dominated Germany’s top flight over the last three seasons by starving their opponents of possession.

His successor Ancelotti will inherit a star-studded squad which will be further boosted by new signings Germany defender Mats Hummels and 18-year-old Benfica midfielder Renato Sanches.

Bayern splashed out a reported €73 million to sign the pair on Tuesday from Borussia Dortmund and Benfica respectively as they sent out a clear statement to their rivals both in Germany and across Europe.

“One should never be resigned, but it’s clear that with their new signings and with the team they already have, Bayern have taken a few more steps ahead of all the teams in the Bundesliga,” said Wolfsburg’s Germany winger Andre Schuerrle. Naijabet.com

Monaco must avoid a slip-up on the final day of the French season on Saturday or risk losing out on a Champions League berth at the expense of local rivals Nice.

The principality club have been in the top three since December but have stumbled in recent weeks and a 6-1 trouncing at Lyon last weekend effectively ended their hopes of finishing second and sealing automatic Champions League qualification.

Monaco host mid-table Montpellier at the Stade Louis II knowing that a three-point deficit to second-placed Lyon coupled with a far inferior goal difference means they must instead focus on making sure of third spot, which carries with it a berth in the Champions League third qualifying round.

Leonardo Jardim’s side, quarterfinalists in Europe’s elite club competition last season, must win to be sure of a podium place.

Otherwise, Nice, two points back in fourth with a better goal difference, can capitalise by beating Guingamp in Brittany.

“In the last match we took a big blow. We lost, that’s the way it is, but we have remobilised and got back down to work,” said Jardim, who insisted third place is where his team belong.

“Lyon finished second last year and are second now. Paris are first again. We would be doing the same as last year by coming third.” Naija and Bet

Real Madrid defender Marcelo says the club needed new direction after stuttering under Rafael Benitez and has praised Zinedine Zidane for “breathing life back” into the team since taking over as coach in January.

Newcastle United’s relegation from the English Premier League on Wednesday completed a miserable season for Benitez who was sacked by Real barely six months into the job.

The Spaniard left with Real third in the table, four points off the top of La Liga.

Frenchman Zidane has cut the gap on leaders Barcelona to a single point going into the final games of the season at the weekend, and has led the team into an all-Spanish Champions League final with Atletico Madrid later this month. Naijabet

“The coach has helped us a lot and breathed life back into us,” Marcelo said in an interview with sponsors Bwin. “We all spoke and we knew we had to change something.

“We’ve changed and it’s been for the best. Many things have changed for the better.”

Real head into Saturday’s game at Deportivo La Coruna in their best domestic form of the campaign, having won the last 11 matches.

“I don’t like talking about numbers but the truth is we’re really happy with Zidane,” Marcelo said. “He’s a great coach.”

Roberto Martinez’s three-year spell in charge of Everton is over, media reports said on Thursday.

The Spaniard has come under increasing criticism this season after a mediocre Premier League season that has left them 12th in the table.

According to the reports, Martinez failed to take training on Thursday ahead of the final game of the season against Norwich City on Sunday while the BBC and Sky Sports television said he had been sacked.

The team reached the semifinals of the League Cup and FA Cup but Martinez’s side have under-performed in the league despite boasting a squad many regard as Everton’s best for many years.

Everton have won just one of their last 10 league games and some fans turned on the manager after they lost 4-0 to local rivals Liverpool last month. Naija and Bet

Banners calling for him to be sacked have appeared at recent games and a protest was planned for Sunday’s finale.

Martinez gained a reputation for an attractive football style in previous stints at Swansea City and Wigan Athletic.

He won the FA Cup with Wigan but the club were also relegated in the same season before he joined Everton in 2013, taking over from David Moyes.

Everton finished fifth in his first season in charge but struggled to back that up last term when they were down in 11th.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension until 2021, the club said on Thursday, ending media speculation the Argentine could be tempted elsewhere.

Pochettino’s side will finish as top flight runners-up for the first time since 1964 if they beat Newcastle United on the final day of the season on Sunday, having pushed Leicester City hard for the title.

“We have seen Mauricio bring a tremendous spirit and ethos to our club and embrace the attacking style of play with which we have always been associated,” chairman Daniel Levy said in a statement.

“He has built a squad of youth and experience and this season we have seen football played at the highest level, quite sublime at times.”

Former Argentina defender Pochettino joined Tottenham in 2014, having impressed at Southampton, and has created a fast and powerful side with a backbone of young English players such as Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Dele Alli. Naijabet.com

Chelsea interim boss Guus Hiddink said Eden Hazard was back to his best after the midfielder scored a stunning goal in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The Belgium international, who was named PFA Player of the Year last season, has struggled for much of the current campaign, scoring his first league goal against Bournemouth last month.

Since that strike, Hazard has racked up four goals in his last four league games, including the sumptuous curler that secured a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on May 2 and ensured that Leicester City won their first top-flight title. Naijabet.com

“Hazard was terrific and has been growing in fitness for some weeks,” Hiddink told British media. “It’s good to see. He had to suffer a lot with injuries this year but I’m very happy he’s back.”

The draw at Anfield was overshadowed for Chelsea fans by concerns over the future of the club’s 35-year-old skipper John Terry, who was missing due to a suspension and is out of contract at the end of the season.

Fans held aloft banners calling for Terry to stay, and Hiddink revealed that the club had made contact with the skipper, although he did not reveal the nature of the discussions.

“Let’s wait (and see) what happens,” the Dutchman added.

“There was contact (between Terry and the club) but because I was focused on the game, I have not heard the results of that.

“Hopefully both are wise parties. We will see regarding his near future, let’s hope for the best.”